Theva is a sweet six-year-old girl from Cambodia. She is the oldest of two siblings from Pursat Province. Her younger sister is four years old and currently in kindergarten. Their father serves in the army, while their mother works as a rice farmer. When Theva was nine months old, she underwent bowel surgery. After that, she experienced febrile seizures and now lives with hemiplegia, a paralysis on one side of her body. Although she does not attend school, she enjoys playing with toys and dolls. When she was little, a small stone was lodged in Theva’s right external ear. Her mother believes Theva may have placed it there herself while playing alone. Because of her medical history, and perhaps due to the stone, Theva has difficulty hearing or speaking. This prevents her from communicating or attending school. Theva traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On October 14th, surgeons at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), our medical partner, will remove the object. Now, Theva needs help to raise $344 to fund this procedure. Theva's mother said: "After the surgery, I hope that the doctor can help my daughter to hear, so she will be able to listen to what I am saying and go to school."

Shadia is an eight-year-old student from Tanzania. She is an active child who continues to attend school and especially enjoys her history classes. However, burn scars on her body have been restricting her movement, making daily activities difficult. Her playful spirit often clashes with the limitations imposed by her injuries, but she has never allowed her condition to fully dim her enthusiasm for learning and life. Shadia is the eldest in a family of three children. Her parents are both small-scale farmers, working hard to cultivate food crops to provide for the family. With their modest income, they struggle to meet the family’s needs, and the additional burden of Shadia’s medical care has been difficult to bear. Shadia experienced a tragic accident three years ago, that left her with severe burn injuries. On that day, Shadia was carrying a charcoal cooker from outside into the kitchen when her gown accidentally caught fire. In a panic, she started running, and the flames spread quickly, leaving her groin area severely burned. What began as a routine household activity turned into a life-changing event that left Shadia in pain and with lasting scars that cause her difficulty in walking. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Shadia receive treatment. On August 20th, surgeons at their care center, Kafika House, will perform contracture release surgery and skin graft to improve her mobility. Now, Shadia's family needs help to fund this $832 procedure. Shadia's father says, "My hope is for my daughter to live a comfortable life. Since the accident, she has been fearful of helping out, and I hope this will help ease her worries."

Horn is a 16-year-old student from Kampong Cham in Cambodia, the eldest of three siblings. His younger sister is nine years old in second grade, and his younger sister is four months old. His parents support the family by working in the nearby rice paddies. Horn is in his seventh grade and enjoys his Khmer class. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer with his friends, and eating stir fried pork with rice and fried eggs. Two years ago, Horn fell while playing football with his left arm outstretched, which caused a fracture in his left arm. He went to a private clinic near his home, where doctors implanted metalwork to stabilize his fracture. The fracture has healed, but the metal in his arm causes discomfort and makes it difficult to use his hand for daily tasks. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 3rd, Horn will undergo a surgical hardware removal procedure, which will cost $378. This procedure will allow him to use his arm and hand more comfortably. He shared, "I wish to have surgery so I can use my hand more easily, and not worry about it anymore."

Visoeur is a four-year-old boy from Cambodia. He is from Kompong Cham province, where he lives with his parents and two siblings. His father sells Cambodian sweets in the market, and his mother works at a small grocery store. Visoeur enjoys playing with other children in the village, and loves eating Khmer soup. Two years ago, Visoeur was burned by hot water in a rice pot, causing scars on both his left and right arms. He developed burn scar contractures that prevent him from using his arms. While he does not feel pain, his limited movement makes it difficult to carry out his daily activities. When Visoeur learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On September 4th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help improve function and flexibility in his arms. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Visoeur's mother shared, "I hope that surgery can help my son feel more comfortable using his arms, and he will be confident when he starts school."

Vortey is a three-year-old toddler from Cambodia. She is the youngest of three siblings from Kampot province. She has two older brothers who are still in school. Her father works as a rice farmer, while her mother manages the household and cares for the children. Vortey is not yet old enough to attend school. At home, she enjoys playing with toys and dolls, and her favorite food is fish soup. When Vortey began to walk, her parents noticed she did not walk normally. She has been diagnosed with developmental dysplasia of the left hip (DDH). In this condition, the hip joint fails to develop properly, resulting in an abnormal fit between the ball (femur) and the socket (acetabulum) of the hip. Her hip dysplasia affects her mobility, making it difficult for her to walk without pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On October 14th, Vortey will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $600. This surgery will restore normal function of her hip joint, reduce her pain, and prevent long-term damage to her left hip joint. Vortey's father said: "After the surgery, I hope that my daughter will be able to walk normally, so she can grow healthy, and I don’t have to worry about any problems in the future."

Reach is a five-year-old preschool student from Phnom Penh from Cambodia. He is an only child living with his single mother. His mother sells groceries at a neighborhood kiosk to support them financially. In kindergarten, Reach enjoys Khmer stories and dreams of becoming a soldier when he grows up. For the past three years, Reach has been experiencing recurrent sore throats and difficulty swallowing. His mom says he snores at night and wakes up still feeling tired. Frequent illnesses cause him to miss school. His mother bought medicine from the local pharmacy, but it has not resolved his infections. She couldn’t afford to take him to a hospital until a nephew informed her about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre. Reach was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. On June 13th, Reach will undergo a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, hopefully relieving him of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. He needs your help to raise $345 to fund his procedure and care. Reach's mother said: "I want to see my son breathe easier and be able to eat better after his operation."

Chandyna is 14 years old and the oldest of three from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Her father runs a small shop selling grilled duck and chicken, and her mother helps with the business. Chandyna is currently in sixth grade, with Khmer as her favorite subject, and dreams of becoming a nurse in the future. In her free time, she helps her mother with household chores and looks after her younger sister. She enjoys soup with a lot of vegetables. Chandyna was diagnosed with an abnormal spine when she was 11 years old, after her father took her to a local governmental hospital in Phnom Penh. A scan revealed a condition called scoliosis, where the spine curves abnormally to the side, often resembling a "C" or "S" shape. It can affect the upper (thoracic) or lower (lumbar) spine, or both. Scoliosis can develop at any age, but it is typically diagnosed in children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 15. Chandyna has been wearing a brace since she was 11. While she does not experience constant pain, she has noticeable differences in shoulder height, gets tired easily during physical activities, and occasionally has back pain. Unfortunately, her parents could not afford the care available at the hospital and referred her to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, seeking treatment to correct her spine. On August 11th, Chandyna will undergo surgery with instrumentation to correct her scoliosis and stabilize her spine. This surgery will improve her posture and allow her to live a healthier life. Her family hopes an operation will help her live more comfortably and avoid future complications, but they need help with the $1,500 cost of the surgery. This will include surgery, anesthesia, medication, and postoperative care. Chandya's father said, "After the operation, I hope that my daughter will have a normal spine like other people and not have any pain. I want her to grow strong and healthy so she can follow her dreams."

Nisai is a five-year-old student from Cambodia. He lives in Phnom Penh and is the middle child among three siblings. His father stays at home to look after the cows, and his mother works in the local market. Nisai enjoys learning to write Khmer, and wants to join the army when he grows up. He also likes looking after his pet fish and playing with his friends in the village. For the past year, Nisai has been experiencing frequent sore throats, difficulty swallowing, and breathing. He feels tired in the mornings and sometimes misses school because of his illness. Nisai was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Nisai, which is scheduled to take place on October 3rd. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Nisai of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Nisai's grandma shared, "I hope my grandson's surgery helps him feel healthy and he stops missing school."

George is a 10-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the second-born in a family of four children and lives with both of his parents, who work tirelessly to raise their family with love and stability. George is a cheerful and active child, loved by his siblings and admired in his neighborhood for his courage and independence. George was born with unilateral clubfoot, a condition that caused his foot to twist inward. When he was much younger, his parents managed to seek treatment for him twice, but because of financial struggles, they were unable to continue the casting sessions. Now at 10 years old, George has lived his life adjusting to an abnormal gait. While he is still able to walk independently, he often grows tired quickly and struggles to keep up with his friends when playing or walking long distances to school. Yet, despite his physical challenges, he remains remarkably positive. He enjoys exploring, playing with friends, and helping at home, doing everything with a strength that defies his condition. Fortunately, George's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Surgeons will begin clubfoot treatment on November 27th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,119 to fund George's clubfoot repair. George said, "I want to walk properly like my friends and enjoy playing without feeling any pain."

Lyhuot is a 10-year-old student from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Thum province with his parents and three siblings. His parents work as rice farmers, while the younger children attend school, and the oldest child helps one of his uncles in a retail shop. Lyhuot is in 5th grade and his favorite subject is math. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer with his friends in the village. For the past three months, Lyhuot has been experiencing frequent sore throats, difficulty swallowing, snoring at night, and recurring headaches. Frequent illness causes him to feel lethargic and miss school. Lyhuot was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Lyhuot, which is scheduled to take place on November 13th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Lyhuot of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Lyhout's mother said, “I hope he can feel healthy again and focus on school."

Ashenafi is a 12-year-old boy from Ethiopia. His parents are farmers, and they have eight children. Ashenafi has chronic osteomyelitis, a severe bone infection, which has caused him a great degree of physical disability, resulting in educational delays such that he is several grades behind in shcool. Ashenafi has been experiencing persistent infected discharge and sharp pain in his leg for over a year. Following his review at our medical partner's care center Saglan Wajee General Hospital, doctors have recommended that Ashenafi undergo a sequestrectomy, a surgical procedure involving the removal of fragments of infected dead bone or tissue. If not treated, it can lead to recurrent infections that may result in life-threatening complications. Fortunately, on October 11th, he will undergo the repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $900 to fund Ashenafi's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will alleviate his symptoms and prevent serious long-term complications. Ashenafi's parents said, "We dream of one thing: a future where our son can walk freely, return to a normal class schedule, and simply have the childhood he deserves."

Berenice is a 16-month-old girl from Haiti. She lives with her mother, who works as a market vendor. Berenice is an extremely friendly baby who smiles at everyone and laughs easily. Berenice has been diagnosed with patent ductus arteriosus, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between two blood vessels next to the heart. This condition stops Bernice's blood from circulating properly, causing weakness and leaving her at risk of heart failure if the condition is not treated. Thankfully, Berenice will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On October 30th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will guide a catheter into the vessels next to her heart and use a special device to seal the hole. Another organization is contributing funds to pay for the surgery, but Berenice's family still needs help with costs related to the surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Berenice's family overseas. Berenice's mother says, "I hope my daughter will grow stronger and gain weight once her heart is fixed!"